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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · lean · cue · straw · court · degree · mate · rash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rash — hasty
  3. court — of law
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. court — for sport
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. degree — from a university
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cue — a signal
  16. court — of a king
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rash — a series
  19. cue — a hint
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com